Matthew West to play Lubbock, Andrews

Published 8:03 am, Thursday, November 14, 2013

Matthew West will perform today in Lubbock and on Friday at Andrews County Expo in Andrews. West’s Into the Light Tour features Sidewalk Prophets and Jason Castro.

Here’s what West said about his latest release, the industry and his West Texas shows.

MRT: How did you feel your newest album “Into the Light” came out? What excites you most about it?

West: Like most artists, I tend to be my own toughest critic. When I hear my song on the radio it’s hard for me to just enjoy the fact that my song made it on the radio. I critique every aspect of what I do, sometimes to a fault. But at the end of the day, I look at my records and I’m proud of what has been accomplished. I’m proud of what the songs say, and most of all, I’m proud that I’ve been able to share the true stories of people’s lives through my songs. Every song on “Into the Light” was inspired by a true story. That’s what I’m most proud of. I’m proud of the courageous men and women who have brought their stories into the light and let me write songs about them.

MRT: What is the biggest lesson you have learned since you started out in the music industry?

West: The biggest lesson I have learned since moving to Nashville in 1999 is that it all starts with a song. If you don’t have a great song, it doesn’t matter how good the singer is, or the recording is. You can only dress it up so much. But a song that moves you, a lyric that touches your heart, a story that takes you on a journey, now that is something special, and that is what I strive for every time I sit down to write a song.

MRT: What has surprised you about the music industry most?

West: Well, I’m surprised that anything is possible. On any given day I find myself writing songs for any number of different kinds of projects and artists. One day I’m wiring a song for my record and the next I’m writing a country song. It’s always exciting to see where a song lands and what kind of life it has.

MRT: What can people in West Texas expect from one of your concerts?

West: My concert is really a journey of story. We bring the stories that inspired these songs to life in a very unique way that I think people will really be blown away by. It’s a cross between a movie and a concert. I like to say that most people attend concerts to escape their lives for a while. But at my concerts I hope people will find themselves connecting with their own lives and their own stories on a deeper level and that they will leave encouraged to know their story is far from over.

MRT: What’s your most memorable moment in concert?

Now Playing:

So many amazing moments have taken place, but a few weeks ago, a kid asked me before my show if he could play guitar with me. So, in a moment of spontaneity, I called him up on the stage and he absolutely rocked the house playing one of my tunes. It was his dream come true, but it was my highlight of the tour, seeing this kid steal my show. So I gave him my guitar because he absolutely earned it. He freaked out. It was a moment I’ll never forget. I also need to go buy a new guitar.